by Harlow James
“Fuck yeah, Kane. Good for you, man!”
“Jesus, Drew. Pipe down. I don’t need everyone knowing I’m pursuing a woman for the first time since I was a teenager,” I grit through my teeth.
“Fuck man, I’m sorry. The beer is hitting me hard. I haven’t been this drunk in a long time,” he hiccups while shoving more chips in his mouth.
I shake my head at him. “Just remember you’ll pay for it tomorrow.”
“So, did you make a move?” He asks as crumbs fly out of his mouth. The man really needs to wear one of those bibs that catches the food that trickles out.
“Uh, not really. I mean… fuck, should I?”
Drew eyes me suspiciously. “Haven’t you already slept together?”
I drop my voice lower as a few teachers walk by on their way back to the garage. “I mean, yeah. But now things are different. I don’t want her to think I just want to get in her pants again. I mean, Christ. I definitely do eventually, but that will take time.”
Drew nods. “That a boy. Take it slow. Make her work for it,” he winks.
“You really are a douche, you know that? How Tammy ever saw marriage potential in you, I’ll never understand,” I rib my best friend, grabbing a beer for me out of the fridge and the glass of wine I poured.
“The ladies dig the asshole vibe, Kane,” he belches, and then takes a drink from his beer.
“Sure, ‘cause the asshole thing was getting me really far before.”
Drew stumbles over to me, grasping my shoulder with his empty hand. “Seriously, bro… take it one day at a time. I… I love you, man.”
Oh, Jesus Christ. We’re at that level of drunk now, are we?
“I love you too, Drew. Now I’m going to go find Tammy so she can cut you off. Behave yourself and lay off the chips.”
Drew glides back around the counter, lifting the bowl and pouring it into his mouth, crumbs flying everywhere. “Never!” He shouts as chips soar through the air.
I laugh my ass off as I amble down the hallway back to the garage, making small talk with a few people on my way back out to the fire.
And when I see her—Olivia hunched over and bundled in her coat, a joyful smile spread wide across her face as she speaks to the person next to her—I know she’s worth the leap I’m taking. I just hope my past doesn’t come back to haunt me and fuck this all up.
Chapter 21
Olivia
“Mom, I’m here!” I shout as I walk through the front door of my parent’s house on the chilly October afternoon. I barely defrosted this morning from the fall mixer last night at Drew and Tammy’s, and then had to bundle up again to make the trek over to the home I was raised in for our weekly Sunday night dinner.
Before I moved to Northern California to go to college, Sunday nights were always reserved for a home-cooked meal from my mom. No matter what we had going on in our lives, my parents insisted we share dinner together at the end of each week. And now, being back home, my mother was elated to continue the tradition with me back at the table.
“In the kitchen!” She yells back as I remove my coat and hang it up near the front door. Adjusting my top and checking my appearance in the mirror in the entryway, I side-step the staircase right in front of me and make my way to the kitchen in the back of the house.
“Oh, it smells good, Mom,” I greet her with a kiss on the cheek and probably a little too much enthusiasm. But hell, I can’t help it. The perma-smile on my face won’t leave after my night with Kane.
I left Drew and Tammy’s last night full of optimism and giddy like a teenage girl with a crush. Kane’s confession of how he truly felt about me finally made me more hopeful than I’ve felt in a long time. Not only was he honest with me, but the fact that he put in so much effort with his list of questions solidified his intentions. Obviously, his lack of dating history is a bit concerning, but I know I can’t doubt the fact that he’s serious about moving forward. And now the anticipation of where we go from here is killing me.
“Go wash your hands so you can help me. I finally have my girl home and I need to remind you how to cook,” she teases me as I reach for the faucet and lather up my hands.
“I haven’t forgotten how to cook, Mom. But I’ll be honest, I don’t do it that often because cooking for one person is a lot of work.”
“So how did last night go?” She asks, changing the subject and then directs me to mix the dough for the dumplings. Along with my four friends, I’ve kept my mother up to date on Kane developments as well.
I can’t hide the mile-wide grin that spreads across my face and the blush I instantly feel come over my cheeks. I bend my head down to try to hide it, but nothing gets past my mother.
“That good, huh?” She laughs, stirring the pot of chicken and gravy on the stove. My mother makes the best chicken and dumplings you’ll ever taste.
“Mom,” I whisper, even though we’re the only two people in the kitchen. “Kane was there, and he pulled me aside and….”
“Knock, knock!” A voice I’m all too familiar with interrupts my story as I turn around and search out Clara.
“You came?” I ask her as she makes her way around the corner and into the kitchen.
“Uh, yeah! You said Mama Walsh was making chicken and dumplings. I’m here!”
“Good to see you, Clara,” my mom greets her and Clara hugs her from the side.
“I wore my stretchy pants just for this meal, Mama. I hope you made enough. Calories don’t count tonight.”
“There’s plenty. So Liv, get back to your story,” my mom prompts.
“Oh! Is Liv talking about what happened last night?”
I shake my head at her. Perry, Amy, Clara and I are all close, but Clara and I definitely talk the most, and she’s the biggest cheerleader rooting for Kane and me.
“Yes, I was before you barged in.”
Clara reaches for the veggies and dip my mom set out on the counter, chomping down on a carrot smothered in ranch. “Okay, please continue then. I’m dying to know what happened.”
I let out a long sigh, but then that smile overtakes my face again. “You guys… Kane took me completely by surprise. I was talking to this evil witch of a woman that we work with, and he comes over and pulls me away from her. He led me to this porch swing on one side of the house, away from everyone else, and then started drilling me with all of these random questions, which completely threw me for a loop. When I asked him what he was doing, he got all awkward, which was charmingly adorable. And then… he told me he wants to get to know me. Date me. I… I still can’t believe it.”
“Eeeekkk! Oh my God, Liv! Yes!” Clara squeals and my mom and I both start laughing as I feel my cheeks get hot again.
“Well, is that what you want?” My mom chimes in.
I nod. “Yeah, I do. I mean, I never thought that dating him would be an option, given how we met and then finding out that we work together. But… he was so transparent last night. He really put himself out there and was honest, and it made me feel hopeful. I can’t remember the last time I felt that way…”
And that’s the truth. Even though things are new, there’s something about Kane that has kept me intrigued since that first night. And after getting to know him better last night, I’m even more interested.
“This is crazy. You move back home after catching your ex banging his secretary, have mind-blowing sex with the hot lumberjack, find out you work with him, and then now you’re dating him. Why can’t things happen like this in my life?” Clara whines while I chuckle at her synopsis of my life in the past few weeks.
“Well, Liv. I’m happy for you and I can’t wait to meet this man,” my mom admits as I hand her the dough to drop in the gravy.
“Give me a little while before I throw him to the wolves, okay, Mom? You, I’m not too worried about. But you know Dad and Cooper… they’ll drill him and chase him away.”
Even though my brother is younger than me, he’s always been massive, like my Dad. And any boy I dated in high school
was terrified of both of them. It’s a miracle I could keep any boy around for any length of time. My dating life didn’t really take flight until I left for college. And the only guy they ever met after high school was Trevor, and well… we all know how that ended up.
“Speaking of your Dad and Cooper,” Mom says as she looks over my shoulder, just as my father and brother walk in from outside.
“Just finished chopping some wood, hun. We should be good for a few weeks now,” my dad tells my mom, as Cooper trails behind. “There’s my girl! How is it you’ve been home for weeks now and I’ve only seen you once?” My dad greets me with a kiss on my forehead and a bear hug.
“Life has been crazy, Dad. It’s difficult moving home and starting a new job in less than a week.”
“Well, at least I know I’ll see you every Sunday now, right?” He winks as Cooper comes around him and gives me a hug.
“You look better than when I saw you last, sis,” he tells me before turning around and noticing Clara, who hasn’t said a word since Cooper walked in. Clara looks stunned, her eyes bugging out of her head at the sight of my brother.
“Cooper Walsh? Is that you?” She finally speaks, faking innocence, but I caught the surprise on her face. “Gosh, you sure have grown up, haven’t you?” She teases while reaching out to give him a hug, her hands lingering on his biceps a little too long for my comfort.
“Hey, Clara. Long time no see,” he looks down at her, his dark hair falling forward on his face. The two of them hold each other’s gazes for a minute before I clear my throat to interrupt.
“Clara, can you help us set the table?” I ask, as Clara spins around to face me, realizing I saw her perusal of my brother.
“Oh, yeah, sure,” she stutters, looking flushed. Clara never ceases to appreciate a good-looking man. And even though Cooper is my brother, I can admit he’s handsome. But the way she’s reacting to him is far from normal for her.
I side-eye my brother, catching him staring at Clara’s ass before shoving him out of the kitchen.
“Hey!”
“I saw that,” I whisper through gritted teeth. “Go sit in the living room and wait for dinner.”
Cooper chuckles and shrugs, before grabbing two sodas from the fridge for him and my dad and making his way to the couch.
Once dinner is ready, the five of us sit down and dive in. I can’t help the moans that escape my mouth as I devour my mom’s cooking. It’s been so long since I’ve enjoyed it—just another benefit of being home again.
“So, how’s work going, Liv?” My dad asks around a mouthful of food.
“Great, actually. The kids are great, and I really like most of my colleagues.”
“Yeah, one in particular,” Clara mutters, causing me to throw an elbow to her rib cage and give her a wide-eyed warning.
“What was that?” Dad asks.
“Would you like more, Dan?” My mother distracts my father as I mouth a ‘thank you’ in her direction. She winks at me in that all-knowing way.
“Yes, hun.”
“So, Cooper. You have to work tonight, right?” I ask, changing the subject and putting the attention on my younger brother.
“Yeah. The graveyard shift sucks, but that’s what I’ve been assigned to. It’s a Sunday night though, so hopefully it won’t be too crazy.”
“When did you become a sheriff deputy?” Clara pipes up, studying my brother across the table. I think she and I are going to have a little conversation later if she keeps ogling him like that. I love my friend, but Clara is a chew-them-up-and-spit-them-out kind of gal. Cooper is driven and focused, and Clara would only prove to be a distraction. She needs to stay far away from my brother, especially since he just started his career.
“A little over two years now,” he answers before standing and clearing his plate.
“That’s crazy. It’s already been that long? I still remember you as the lanky little kid who used to torture us during sleep overs,” Clara jokes, her eyes never leaving Cooper as he moves around. Cooper turns and leans up against the counter in the kitchen, crossing his arms over his broad chest. He’s definitely not lanky anymore.
“Yeah, well, you girls drove me crazy. I had to get revenge somehow,” he grins.
“We weren’t that bad,” I chime in, standing from the table and moving over to the sink to wash dishes.
“Weren’t that bad? Do you remember the time you chased me around the house and pinned me down to paint my toenails?”
“Oh, God! I forgot about that!” Clara laughs.
“Well, I didn’t. And there were four of you and only one of me, so it wasn’t like I could fight you off.”
“Well, I do believe you got your revenge when you put shaving cream in our hands while we slept that night. You tickled our noses with that feather so we would all smack ourselves in the face.”
Cooper chuckles before making his way down the hallway. “And then you all chased me down again. Good thing we’re not kids anymore, because I couldn’t imagine the type of prank war that would commence now. And I definitely know you couldn’t pin me down this time,” he flexes his muscles before disappearing into his room.
“When did your brother get so hot?” Clara comes up behind me at the sink and whispers in my ear.
“Don’t even think about it Clara,” I warn.
“What? Ha, you’re funny,” she plays it off, but I know the wheels are spinning in her mind.
“I’m serious. Cooper is off-limits, you hear me?”
Clara just stares at me, but then Cooper comes around the corner, dressed in his uniform and I see Clara swallow hard.
“Alright guys. I hate to eat and run, but duty calls,” he says while kissing and hugging my parents goodbye. He comes over to me next and gives me a tight squeeze, before turning to Clara. “Nice to see you again, Clara,” he winks while pulling her in for a hug.
“Yeah, you too, Cooper. Be safe,” she says, watching him walk out the door.
Once the dishes are clean and we each inhale a slice of mom’s fresh peach pie, it takes all of my energy to push myself off of the couch to leave.
“Thanks for dinner, Mom. I’ll see you next week.”
“I’m so glad to have you home, Liv,” she says while hugging me close to her.
“Me too, baby girl,” my dad says as he gives me another bear hug.
“Despite what brought me back, I’m happy to be home too.”
“Thanks for having me, Mama and Papa Walsh,” Clara adds while getting her own hugs. Clara’s parents moved away right after she graduated from high school and left for college, so my parents are the closest thing she has to her own nearby.
“You’re welcome anytime,” my mom says as we gather our coats and walk out the front door.
“I’m going to have to run five miles to burn off that meal, but it was so worth it,” Clara confesses, her usual snarky self returning.
“Me too.”
“So, what happens now with Kane?”
I shrug. “I’m not sure. We exchanged numbers before we left last night. The ball is in his court, really. I mean, he doesn’t have much experience dating, so I don’t want him to feel pressured. But I’m excited to see where this goes.”
“Well, you better keep me updated,” she smiles before giving me a hug, hurrying our goodbye as the cold air and wind swirls around us.
“I will. Where are you headed for work this week?”
“Chicago and then Boston. But I’ll be home by Friday. We should do something.”
“Definitely. I’ll let you know.”
“Love ya, Liv.”
“Love ya, too, girl. Goodnight,” I say while closing my car door and making the short drive back to my apartment. As I get ready for bed that night, I can’t help but feel anxious for seeing Kane again at work. I plan out my outfit so I look killer tomorrow and open up my book to quell my thoughts before I fall asleep.
Being home again brings a peace over me I was searching for when I first arrived
. Even though I questioned everything that brought me back to Emerson Falls, I can’t help but feel like things are starting to make sense.
Chapter 22
Kane
I don’t think I’ve ever been this eager to get to work before. After Saturday night with Olivia, I’m itching to make progress. I didn’t officially ask her out on a date yet, but I know I need to soon. The more I stew on the idea of spending more time with her, the more anxious I am to move things along between us. She’s the first person in a long time that makes me want more out of life. And I’m hoping the surprise I have for her this morning will help me score even more brownie points.
“Hey, Phil,” I greet our morning custodian in the dark before the sun rises. Phil gets here before any of the staff, hosing down sidewalks, picking up trash, and restocking restrooms before the day begins. Custodians and secretaries are some of the most pivotal staff members of a school, and I was told early on to never get on their bad side or they could make your life a living hell. Lucky for me, Phil and I hit it off, and I always make sure to say hello to him in the morning when I see him, especially today since I need a favor.
“Garrison. Here earlier than normal today? What gives?” His deep voice resonates in the cold as I can see both of our breaths while we speak.
“Yeah. I uh, kinda need a favor. Could you let me into room 104 please?”
Phil eyes the coffee in my hand and then a knowing smile creeps across his face.
“Is that coffee for her?” He asks, knowing who all the classrooms belong to.
“Yeah. I need to make sure I drop it off before she gets here.”
Phil nods. “And the wooing begins,” he chuckles as I follow him to Olivia’s classroom.
Once the coffee and note are securely delivered, I thank Phil for his help and hightail it back to my room before Olivia arrives and can see me. I’m sure she’ll know the coffee is from me as soon as she sees it and reads my message, but I don’t want to blow my cover.
By the time my prep period rolls around, I haven’t heard a word from Olivia. I know she was probably busy teaching, but I figured I’d get some sort of reaction from her—a text, an email, or even a phone call to say thanks. Just when I feel a wave of disappointment come over me, there’s a knock on my classroom door.